The 2019-20 Premier League season is not even a third of the way completed yet it already seems as though the two-time defending champions will not be the ones to hoist the trophy come May.
Manchester City's season thus far has been a stumbling one, filled with key injuries like winger Leroy Sane, defender Aymeric Laporte and goalkeeper Ederson, leaving them to enter Sunday's crucial match with league leaders Liverpool six points behind. The match did not go the Citizens' way, dropping a 1-3 result and falling to fourth place and nine points behind.
There is still at least 2,340 minutes of football to be played for Man City to claw back to the top of the table, but the result seems highly unlikely. Liverpool has already snagged three points off City in the Red's victory at Anfield, so even if the defending champions can equal the battle with a home victory of their own, they still will not control their own destiny. The two will compete in Manchester in April.
With a nine point difference (and Chelsea and Leceister City sandwiched between), Manchester City needs the top three to all start dropping points. Liverpool has already played all other Big Six sides, defeating Arsenal and Tottenham at Anfield, while defeating Chelsea and drawing Manchester United on the road. The leaders also defeated second-place Leceister at home.
For much of the season, Manchester City was the favorite to win the title, but as the season has progressed and the Citizens have floundered, FiveThirtyEight gives them just a 29 percent chance to take home the trophy. With two matches to come against all of Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Leceister, Liverpool at home and Tottenham on the road, the future looks bleak.